Ostwok Vostok Generalskie Review

October 7, 2009

On a Hirsch Trapper for a change of pace

On a Nilsen Bund

Here’s a question for you. When is a Vostok not a Vostok. The answer-when it’s an Ostwok. For those of you who are now scratching your heads, I’m quite serious. It seems that back in the mid 1990s a Swiss company was formed for the purpose of selling rebranded Vostok models to western customers. (See this thread on Watchuseek for more discussion). The company was named Ostwok and was in business from 1995 until roughly 2000. Their products were otherwise ordinary Vostok Komandirskie and Generalskie models except that the logo on the watch face was changed (See images above. That’s not a Vostok logo). Otherwise, the Ostwok is a Vostok in all other respects. This particular model uses a Vostok 2414A stemwinder movement. It shipped with a typical Vostok leather band (which is to say a terrible watchband that I swapped for this leather bund strap). The packaging was a little nicer than a typical Vostok’s and included a small catalog of the company’s available selection (see above). All in all, the Ostwok is an interesting footnote in Russian watchmaking history. FYI, I got this one on ebay. Examples turn up there from time to time.